Benedict XVI reviews his life’s work. He changed his mind about something important.

Posted on 5 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It is important that you know about this. I first touched on this HERE

Given the orchestrations of the last, controversial Synod of Bishops which met to discuss issues concerning the family, and given the hot issues raised, when the former POPE says something touching the issue of Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried, we should pay attention.

In essence, Benedict XVI is doing what St. Augustine did late in life in his Retractations: he is looking back at his life’s work to make evaluations and corrections. In the 1970’s Ratzinger mused about Communion for the remarried. He has, since, changed his mind.

Sandro Magisterhas the texts of the His Holiness Pope Benedict’s forward to the newest volume of his collected works. The first volume, put out in German and edited by Card. Müller of the CDF, was of Benedict’s liturgical writings. Ignatius Press has the English version: Joseph Ratzinger-Collected Works: Theology of the Liturgy – UK link HERE.

Now a volume of theological writings is out in German. Moreover, we also have an English translation of the forward in which Benedict reviews his position on the hot question back in 1972 and what he thinks about it now.

Thus, Magister:

ROME, December 3, 2014 – Joseph Ratzinger’s position on communion for the divorced and remarried is well known. He has formulated it a number of times, as cardinal prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and then as pope.

But now he is returning to the argument with a new text, just released in Germany in the collection of his Opera Omnia.

This text is reproduced in its entirely further below. But its origin demands an explanation.

In the Opera Omnia, Ratzinger is republishing – with the help of the prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, Gerhard Ludwig Müller – all of his theological writings, grouped according to theme. In the latest of the nine volumes published so far in German by Herder, numbering almost 1,000 pages and entitled “Introduction to Christianity. Profession, baptism, discipleship,” there is a 1972 article on the question of the indissolubility of marriage, published that year in Germany in a multi-author book on marriage and divorce.

That 1972 article by Ratzinger was dusted off last February by Cardinal Walter Kasper in the talk with which he introduced the consistory of cardinals convened by Pope Francis to discuss the issue of the family, in view of the synod of bishops scheduled for October:

In cheering for the admission of the divorced and remarried to Eucharistic communion, Kasper said:

“The early Church gives us a guideline that can serve as a means of escape from the dilemma, to which Professor Joseph Ratzinger referred in 1972. [. . .] Ratzinger suggested that Basil’s position should be taken up again in a new way. It would seem to be an appropriate solution, one that is also at the basis of these reflections of mine.” [The Five Cardinals Book™ exploded the Basil point. If you haven’t obtained and read it… what are you waiting for?]

In effect, in that 1972 article the then 45-year-old professor of theology in Regensburg maintained that giving communion to the divorced and remarried, under particular conditions, appeared “fully in line with the tradition of the Church” and in particular with “that type of indulgence which emerges in Basil, where, after a protracted period of penance, the ‘digamus’ (meaning someone living in a second marriage) is granted communion without the annulment of the second marriage: with trust in the mercy of God, who does not let penance go unanswered.”

That 1972 article was the first and last time in which Ratzinger “opened up” to communion for the divorced and remarried. Afterward, in fact, he not only fully adhered to the rigorist [no… not rigorist… faithful…] position of the ban on communion, reaffirmed by the magisterium of the Church during the pontificate of John Paul II, but he also contributed in a decisive way to the argumentation on behalf of this ban as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith. [Did everyone get that? So, what Kasper did is doubly dodgy.]

He contributed to it in particular by signing the letter to bishops of September 14, 1994, in which the Holy See rejected the theses in favor of communion for the divorced and remarried supported in previous years by some German bishops, including Kasper:

And then again with a 1998 text published by the congregation for the doctrine of the faith and republished by “L’Osservatore Romano” of November 30, 2011:

Without counting that subsequently, as pope, he reconfirmed and explained the ban on communion a number of times in the context of pastoral care for the divorced and remarried.

[NB] It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Ratzinger should have maintained that it was inappropriate for Kasper to cite his 1972 article in support of his own theses, as if nothing had happened after that year.

This is what led to Ratzinger’s decision, in republishing the 1972 article in the Opera Omnia, to rewrite and expand its final part, bringing it into line with his subsequent and current thinking. [Did you get that?]

What follows is a translation of the new final part of the article as it appears in the volume of the Opera Omnia just out in bookstores, released for publication by pope emeritus Benedict XVI in March of 2014. [Ergo… several months before the October Synod but still within the Synod’s penumbra. The debate was already escalating.]

Followed immediately by a reproduction of the part replaced, the one cited by Kasper in his own support at the consistory last February. [Compare and contrast.]

In the new 2014 edition, it is specified that “the contribution has been completely revised by the author.”

What follows in Magister’s piece are the actual texts.

Keep in mind that, even as we speak, powers-that-be are working behind the scene to engineer a desired outcome when the next Synod meets in October 2015.

Posted in Benedict XVI, One Man & One Woman | Tagged Benedict XVI, Card. Kasper, divorce and remarriage, Retractations
30 Comments

5 Dec 1945 – Air squadron lost in the Bermuda Triangle

Posted on 5 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From History.com comes this portentous story:

At 2:10 p.m., five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. Flight 19 was scheduled to take them due east for 120 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 120-mile leg that would return them to the naval base. They never returned.

Two hours after the flight began, the leader of the squadron, who had been flying in the area for more than six months, reported that his compass and back-up compass had failed and that his position was unknown. The other planes experienced similar instrument malfunctions. Radio facilities on land were contacted to find the location of the lost squadron, but none were successful. After two more hours of confused messages from the fliers, a distorted radio transmission from the squadron leader was heard at 6:20 p.m., apparently calling for his men to prepare to ditch their aircraft simultaneously because of lack of fuel.

By this time, several land radar stations finally determined that Flight 19 was somewhere north of the Bahamas and east of the Florida coast, and at 7:27 p.m. a search and rescue Mariner aircraft took off with a 13-man crew. Three minutes later, the Mariner aircraft radioed to its home base that its mission was underway. The Mariner was never heard from again. Later, there was a report from a tanker cruising off the coast of Florida of a visible explosion seen at 7:50 p.m.

The disappearance of the 14 men of Flight 19 and the 13 men of the Mariner led to one of the largest air and seas searches to that date, and hundreds of ships and aircraft combed thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and remote locations within the interior of Florida. No trace of the bodies or aircraft was ever found.

Although naval officials maintained that the remains of the six aircraft and 27 men were not found because stormy weather destroyed the evidence, the story of the “Lost Squadron” helped cement the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, an area of the Atlantic Ocean where ships and aircraft are said to disappear without a trace. The Bermuda Triangle is said to stretch from the southern U.S. coast across to Bermuda and down to the Atlantic coast of Cuba and Santo Domingo.

Posted in Events | Tagged Bermuda Triangle
5 Comments

Fr. Tim Finigan: “Isn’t Margate terrific?”

Posted on 5 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The cover of the first magazine format of the Catholic Herald

From the newly retooled Catholic Herald, the best Catholic weekly in the UK comes this abut my friend Fr. Tim Finigan, who was in the autumn transferred from his parish in Blackfen to far-flung Margate, where Turner painted and where you are about as far from London as you can be and still be in the Archdiocese of Southwark… and on dry land.

Margate is worth a Latin Mass [not to compare Margate to Paris, of course]
by Stuart Reid.

On a sunny, rather warm day in October I walked out of the funky Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate, when who should I see approaching briskly up the steps but Fr Timothy Finigan, our very own agony uncle (Catholic Dilemmas, p24) and author of the celebrated Hermeneutic of Continuity blog. He is known the world over for his defence of compassionate Traditionalism, by which I mean that he does not throw bombs. What a nice surprise, anyway. We’d never met, but I’d seen his picture.

“Fr Tim Finigan?” I said. He looked a bit guarded. I needed a shave and was wearing perhaps slightly grubby chinos. I took the liberty of introducing myself, however, and, to my great relief, he smiled.

“Isn’t Margate terrific?” he said. It’s not quite the reaction one expects from a new arrival, because, at first glance, Margate is a bit of a dump. Fr Tim arrived in September to replace Fr Luke Smith as parish priest of St Austin and St Gregory with St Anne. Before that, he had been parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary in Blackfen for 17 years and had, famously, formed a strong Traditionalist base there. He offered the old Latin Mass on Saturdays, Sundays and Holy Days, and on other days as well.

I met Fr Tim again last month, by appointment. I arrived at St Austin and St Gregory towards the end of the 12 o’clock Mass, and was delighted to see that, after the dismissal, he knelt before the high altar and said the Leonine Prayers or, as they used to be known, the Prayers for the Conversion of Russia. (These days, of course, it would make more sense to pray for the conversion of the US and the EU.)

This is one of several liturgical changes he has made. Others include the abolition of the Sign of Peace, the re-introduction of Communion under one kind – no more offering the Chalice to lay people – and the “letting go” of the “lay ministers” of Holy Communion.

But… “Isn’t Margate terrific?” When I knew the town first, in the 1950s, the place was gaudy, well-to-do, honky-tonk, full of Teddy Boys and Americans from the nearby USAF base at Manston. For a 13-year-old it was heaven, but it was too good to last. The Americans left in 1961, and not long after that the package holiday industry took off, marking the beginning of the end of the old seaside resorts.

But perhaps there is to be a new beginning. Certainly, Fr Tim’s enthusiasm is infectious. He loves the retro-chic of the Old Town, with its antique shops and micro-pubs, its mixture of Victorian and Georgian architecture, and its excellent restaurants. He does not care greatly for the Turner gallery, [I don’t think you’ll find any Turner there. It’s full of modern stuff.] but believes it is helping to bring life and purpose (ie money) back to the town.

Like Margate, the Church faces difficulties as a result of changes made in the first half of the 1960s, but here, too, there
are signs of a new beginning, thanks to the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

“A lot of good, orthodox priests are now coming out of the seminaries,” Fr Tim says. “Quite a few of them say the Old Mass.” [A hugely important tool of the New Evangelization.] Benedict showed us the way forward – via the hermeneutic of continuity and the reform of the reforms.

At St Austin and St Gregory, Fr Tim says a traditional Latin Mass at 6.30pm on Mondays. At some time in the future, he hopes to be able to celebrate the Extraordinary Form on Sundays. But he is going to take it a day at a time. [Brick by brick?]

After lunch we went for a walk on the promenade. The light was beginning to fade, and there were pink streaks in the clouds to the West. “You can see what Turner meant about Margate having big skies,” [Turner never visited Montana.] Fr Tim said. You certainly could. Across the road from us was the Kiss Me Quick souvenir shop whose owner, Billy Keefe, had become friendly with Fr Tim. As well as selling saucy postcards, Billy sells Chicken Balti rock, which, according to Fr Tim, tastes like… Chicken Balti.

No sooner had Billy’s name been invoked than he appeared, miraculously, on the other side of the road. We joined him. He is in his 50s, tough, with a bit of a tan and a broken nose. “’Ere, Father,” he said. “I’ve got something that should interest someone in your line of business.”

He’d been to Gozo, sister island to Malta, and had discovered the most beautiful churches there. He took out his smartphone and showed us pictures of them. Occasionally, he enlarged a picture by spreading a finger and thumb across the image, as though he was showing off the better features of a racing greyhound to a mate.

Fr Tim smiled. He is good with people. [He sure is. I’ve seen it.] He talks and listens. After four hours in his company I was feeling so positive about Margate, and about his ministry there, that if I’d been young – 60, say – I’d have been tempted to relocate to the seaside. [! That’s probably what some will do.]

This article first appeared in The Catholic Herald magazine (5/12/14)

Subscribe to the The Catholic Herald Magazine HERE and tell them that Fr. Z (Zed) sent you.

I hope to see Fr. Finigan during a projected trip to London after my visit to Rome for the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy in January.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, The future and our choices | Tagged Catholic Herald, Fr. Tim Finigan, Margate, Stuart Reid
10 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z is happy

Posted on 4 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

You might recall that, at the end of October, while I was in Rome I shopped for fabric and trim and ordered up a set of Pontifical vestments from the famous ecclesiastical shop Gammarelli. Here are a couple of shots from back then.

The fabric cut out and ready to go on 28 October.

Today, just over one month, the vestments arrived. Not bad for a full Pontifical set! Gammarelli stock went up for me because of this project. It used to take them forever to get anything done and shipping was… well… iffy. I had the notice from them on Monday, I tracked them with DHL, and they are here.

And do they pack properly! Beneath the outer paper the box was carefully wrapped in plastic. This would prevent water damage.

Some detail of the cope.

The is the “San Filipo Neri” style of chasuble. It’s fuller, longer, and a bit curved in respect to the modern Roman pianetta.

You can see that the ribbons are black. Striking against the blue. Note the way the maniple is to be tightened on the arm.

To give you a sense of the difference in the silk depending on the light and the light source. It can appear different shades of gold and it has a raised pattern which catches light well.

I won’t hesitate to do a project like this again. Shopping for the fabric saved a lot of money and gave us more variety. The trick is knowing how much to buy of the fabric and paying attention to the pattern, if there is one. The pattern in this silk was fairly narrow, which gave the tailors a lot of flexibility when trying to fit everything in. Kudos to them.

Another thing… I had 5 deacon stoles made instead of just the one. That way the bishop has the option of using the set for an ordination to the diaconate.

These vestments will have their inauguration on Monday 8 December for Our Lady’s feast, which is also a Holy Day of Obligation in these USA.

If you are near Madison, or even if you are not, Pontifical Mass at the Throne begins at 7 pm at the chapel of the Bishop O’Connor Center. Madison’s Bp. Morlino will be the celebrant.

The Mass is sponsored by the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison which also purchased the vestments. Please visit the TMSM page and send a huge tax deductible donation! The TMSM is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax deductible. Those who wish to support the special projects of the TMSM may do so by using the donation button on the website or by mailing a contribution to the Society at 529 Echo Valley Road, Brooklyn, WI 53521.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged D. Madison, Gammarelli, gold silk, Pontifical vestments
19 Comments

ASK FATHER: Offering correction to priest who is being a jackass

Posted on 4 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Far be it from me to tell anyone, let alone a priest, that they can be an ass to people, but our priest, whom I have good rapport with (still even it seems) really can be an ass to people who try to help him, but fall short of his expectations and didn’t think there was anything wrong with how he was treating them. I attempted to talk to him about it in a gentle manner, but he just went on a vulgar rant about how he didn’t care, etc. I left it alone after realizing he wasn’t open to constructive criticism and just prayed for the Holy Spirit to enlighten him.

A month later I received reliable news that he had done a very jerk thing to another parishoner that was inexcusable. I left it for a couple days, and after some time in prayer I decided to attempt again, but use a different, more tactical approach that I thoroughly thought out and was confident would work.

I used your cushioned direct approach, but used the same harsh tone and vulgar phrases he used and respectfully and humbly told him that at times he was being an ass to people who were trying to help him, as well as laid out clearly all the times (I could think of) he was said ass, and reminded him in harsh terms that he is dependent on his parishioners who volunteer their time to have a functioning Latin Mass Community.

It seems to have had some effect, but only time will tell. I have a high degree of respect for his priestly authority over me and the reverence due to his office, and now I’m feeling guilty and debating on whether or not it was wrong for me to take it into my own hands to harshly enlighten him and whether or not I actually sinned. What do you think?

Yes, priests can be jackasses. Priests can – and do – have bad days. And some priests have better people skills than others. And while we all admit that being a jackass is a bad thing, let’s also not fall into the trap of thinking that the first job of the priest is to be a nice guy, full of smiles and hugs. No. The first job of the priest is to offer sacrifice, to pray with and for the Church, to help souls to avoid hell and attain heaven, and therefore properly to teach, govern, and sanctify, to administer the sacraments, etc…. Of course, not being a jackass really helps in trying to get all these priestly duties done. That said….

Fraternal correction is difficult. Paternal correction is even more difficult and we should be extremely reticent to attempt it.

Trying to strike a balance between respect for those in authority, and legitimate reproof of that authority in error has been a difficulty in the Church since St. Paul corrected St. Peter. This always calls for a careful review of motives, and prayer to the Holy Spirit and Guardian Angels of all involved for guidance and the gift of the virtue of prudence.

Here’s a thought.

How about, after correcting a priest on his behavior (maybe not immediately after, but sometime after), going to confession to that same priest and asking his forgiveness for any possible overstepping of bounds? That could show the priest that the correction is not personal, and that you still respect both his priestly office, and him as a person. Or, you might simply approach him some time later – since you say there seems to have been some positive effect – in order to say something like, “Everyone’s so happy with how things have been going lately. I feel much more confident now inviting my friends and family members to come to our parish. Thanks so much for all the great things you’re doing here. Here’s a pound of Mystic Monk Coffee to show my appreciation for your service!”

UPDATE:

The original questioner send this:

Since it was awhile since I sent that Ask Father question regarding paternal correction to my priest acting like a jackass, I thought Pryor might appreciate an update.

My conscience started eating away at me within 24 hours and within less than 72 hours I had apologized to him for being disrespectful and related that now I am the ass. All is well (he wasn’t mad and accepted my apology) and, since he is also my regular confessor, I went to confession to him a couple days later.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged fraternal correction, paternal correction
19 Comments

Pope sacks Swiss Guard Commandant

Posted on 4 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From The Telegraph:

Pope sacks the head of his Swiss Guard for being ‘too strict’
Daniel Anrig will no longer serve as commandant of Pontiff’s private army after Pope Francis is rumoured to prefer a ‘less military’ approach to security

He has dismissed and demoted cardinals, bishops and the Vatican secretary of state, and now Pope Francis’s reformist zeal has claimed a new scalp – the head of his own private army, the Swiss Guard.
In a dispassionate one-sentence notice, the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, announced on Wednesday that Daniel Anrig will no longer serve as the commandant of the 500-year-old corps after the end of next month.
No official explanation was given for the decision, but it was widely rumoured that the Argentinean Pope, who has established a warmer, more inclusive style of governance since being appointed pontiff in March last year, found the commander’s manner overly strict and “Teutonic”.
The 77-year-old pope is said to have been appalled recently to have emerged one morning from his private suite of rooms to find that a Swiss Guard had been standing guard all night.
“Sit down,” he told the young guardsman, to which the soldier said: “I can’t, it’s against orders.”
The Pope replied: “I give the orders around here,” and promptly went off to buy a cappuccino for the exhausted soldier.
[…]

Yeah… right. That last thing I would want from my security detail made up of military personnel is commitment, discipline and professionalism.

Posted in Francis | Tagged Swiss guards
63 Comments

UPDATE – Gift idea: Seignadou Soaps from the Summit Dominicans – VIDEO!

Posted on 4 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I know that most of you are getting Mystic Monk Coffee for people as gifts, and thereby you help the Carmelite men build their new monastery in Wyoming, but there is a wonderful community of nuns to help too!

You know them, I’m sure: the Dominican Nuns in Summit, NJ. These are the legendary “soap sisters” of Seignadou Soaps.

Right now, in addition to their soaps and all the other good things they make, they also have a CD of music for the Immaculate Conception, which feast is drawing close. Alas, I don’t have it or I would share a taste.

Here’s the deal. The sisters are closing down their online store on 17 December, the second and “heavy” part of Advent, “so that we can more deeply prepare our hearts and home for the coming of Christ!”, as they explain.

So… order now!

And tell them that Fr. Z wants them to bring back their smoky-smelling Savonarola line!

The Domincans also have a video in which they show something of their life and talk about the new wing they need to build. HERE

UPDATE 4 Dec:

Apparently quite a few of you visited the sisters’ website. Sister wrote this note to me:

Dear Father,

WOW! Thank you! The title of your blog should be “Father SAYS!”! Many people have put in soap orders but a few people have donated to the building campaign. In God’s time we’ll get to have enough to start. It is sooo expensive to build in this part of NJ. Anywhere else and could easily build a whole monastery for that amount.

We really need the extra space. It’s mostly for a guest house. This year we counted over 90 guests in our 2 single guest rooms: women coming for a vocation retreat, friars, family and friends who visit, religious who stay here (like Nashville, etc.) while doing their apostolate and priests asking to make a retreat. One of our main objectives is to be able to provide a place of the local diocesan priests for a monthly retreat, few days, etc.

At this point we’re not set up for any of this. Unfortunately what did not get into the video are images of the current basement guest room. I don’t know how that happened because the stairways going down are very steep, dark and dreary!

If St. Nicholas thinks you were good this year you might find some Savonarola in your shoes! [I hope he has my address! BTW… how many of you got the pun? The name of the soap? Review, above, and ponder.]

Oremus pro invicem!

Sr. Mary Catharine

What a wonderful community.

Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole, Women Religious | Tagged Dominicans, Savonarola, Seignadou Soap, Summit Dominicans
17 Comments

OLDIE PODCAzTs: Advent 1969 the Novus Ordo imposed by Paul VI – 45 years later

Posted on 3 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In conjunction with reading Peter Kwasniewski’s new, provocative book (which rather reads like this blog in many respects), I just reviewed three old PODCAzTs I made at the time of the 40th anniversary of the implementation of the Novus Ordo for Advent of 1969/70. I used music that was on the charts at that time, as well as a few ditties that came after the Novus Ordo. It is pretty jarring sometimes, but I meant it to be.

In the second of the triptych I gave a roundup of what was going on in the world at the time Paul VI was speaking in these General Audiences and when he imposed the Novus Ordo on the Latin Church.

It was really interesting to read the combox under the three entries with the podcasts.

Frankly, I found review of these podcasts pretty useful, especially as the terrain is shifting again today. Pope Paul’s commentary on what was going to take place was for me – 45 years later – surreal. It was as if Rod Serling were reading the texts, and not the undersigned. (Wasn’t Night Gallery playing in 1969/1970?)

We are 45yrs out now. 45 years.

Is what Paul VI described, what we actually got? As he lists in anticipation certain criticisms and gives some defenses… how do the arguments sound to you?

“So do not let us talk about ‘the New Mass”. Let us rather speak of ‘the New Epoch’ in the Church’s life.”

In those days, optimism oozed from every crack. I am not convinced that it was justified.

Check these old PODCAzTs:

There is some lively discussion going on under a couple of these entries.

Posted in Classic Posts, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged 1969, 1970, Novus Ordo, Paul VI
25 Comments

ACTION ITEM! Support Our Lady of Hope Clinic!

Posted on 3 December 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I have an ACTION ITEM for you good readers. You have been generous to causes I have mentioned in the past. Sometimes people have a hard time finding causes to support. This is one of them that I admire.

RIGHT NOW… they have a “matching grant” from a generous patron. Every donation to the clinic from now to the end of the year will be matched, so your donation does double duty.

I have written about Our Lady of Hope Clinic before. This is one of the worthiest causes I have seen for a while and it could use your help, wherever you are.

They have a DONATION page.

Contact Julie Jensen, Director of Development, at Julie -AT- ourladyofhopeclinic -DOT- org, or by calling (608) 957-1137.

I was in the clinic yesterday for something. The doctor told me that whenever I mention them on the blog, they get donations from all over.

In the clinic you see a sign on the wall explaining that

“Our Lady of Hope Clinic practices medicine consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church”